"Guys, please don't fight." He asks in a done-in tone of voice, "I don't want to have to drop a fireball on you two, and leave Demeisen and me stuck for muscle to get out of here..."

It would have been amusing had he been joking. But he wasn't. He was serious.

He turned tiredly to look more directly at Ebbar, and showed him the amulet from earlier.

"It is Flynn's Amulet of Fire, the amulet you found." He tells the dwarf, "Only usable by Wizards or Elves I am afraid, and as you saw when I used it earlier it gives off a blast of flame once per day."

He holds it out to the dwarf.

"Maybe you can give it to someone when we get out of here." He suggests, "Might be useful."

OOC:Still no idea if it's just resistant to fire, or if it absorbs it tho. :-(

I cannot find anything that states this specifically. The issue here is perhaps that as a monster the Hellhound could be blessed/cursed with such abilities and or resistances on a individual basis. The last one we encountered was not intended to have any "extra" bonus to its resistance or receive and extra damage from cold damage.

Perhaps they do have a some? but this could be tied into it's inherent AC which was calculated into its defense. Hellhounds "could" also be augmented by spells from a evil wizard to help in this area? it could have a magical artifact attached to it? Armored collar for example. I will try to be as transparent as possible especially once we kill a opponent.

Ebnar wails back as the last Goblin flees deeper into the cavern, evading the party and cackling, no doubt it will bring reinforcments later on. Ebnar stumbles a little as his blood frenzy begins to subside, he grips his side with his hand, fortunatly the wound Tharadin inflicted with his Morninstar earlier had closed up. The Dwarf removes his helmet and rubs his eyes with his sleeve, removing some of the blood he was blinded with. He breaths heavily, and inspects the wound left by the Hellhound from its first attack. He notces Tharadin glaring at him at the side, him being just as tired as the Dwarf was, Ebnar snorts and ingores him and begins to hobble over to a rock to take a seat. He notces Tanthalas holding out the amulet the Dwarf found earlier offering it to him. Ebnar glares at him.

"Hmph, ye might aswell be keeping it Elf! Aint like i be getting any need from it, sides..." he pauses, he lets out a smirk at him."I be guessing i owe ye one for done stunning that Goblin, eeer... not that i couldnt have done taken him myself! but i had me hands full with a Hellhound rapping its teeth into me arm!"

Ebnar laughs, smacking the Elf on the shoulder in a playful manner knocking the Elf off balance slightly.He stops himself and looks at him a second time.

"But this dont be meaning we friends! Just be meaning....Hmph, guess ye aint all bad... for n Elf that is."

Ebnar continues over to the boulder, he turns and goes to take a seat, its then he notices Tanthalas casting a spell at him, his eyes full of anger, Ebnar sighs.

"By all the hells! Aint ye had enough ye fool of a human!?", Reluctantly Ebnar grabs his axes, tighnining them in each hand, he trys to push himself out the way of the incoming spell, but his wounds slow him, he gets caught by it, holding him in place.

"YOU ARSE LICKING MANGEY EXCUSE FOR A KNIGHT!! IF YE BE WANTING A FIGHT SO BAD THEN FIGHT ME LIKE A DWARF!!"

Ebnar snarls, unable to move, his body still shaking, despite the spells effects the Dwarf rage was obviously enough to push on the barriers of the spell causing him to violently try and fight off the effect, albeit pointlessly.

*walks up to Ebnar, his hand clenched on the morningstar held at his side.*

"You and I are not friends, Ebnar. At this rate, we never will be. You have many flaws, as do most people...but your's push you very close to evil. You either lack the common dwarven wisdom that comes to be expected of your race, or you are hiding it. You lack discipline, honour, decency, and any morbid excuse for the term "courtesy". However, try your damndest to make me one, I am not your foe, atleast not until you cross the line into the realm of evil."

*sheathes his morningstar*

"I am going to show you mercy, Ebnar, knowing full well that you would never do the same for anyone, even your own family. No, you'd probably only stop to spit in their face and laugh at their misery before taking their gold and leaving them to their fate. My only hope is that you do not grow darker with the passage of time."

*walks behind Ebnar, stopping to use the top flap of Ebnar's backpack to clean the goblin blood from the skull thrown at Tharadin's armor.*

"There. Now let's not play with such filthy and vile creatures anymore, shall we?"

Some DM's allow this, some do not, but I would like to release the Hold Person spell if I am allowed to do so.

Tharadin speaks to Ebnar about his mistreatment and about the ways of Dwarven wisdom. After a bit of time passes Tharadin shows his loyalty to the group and decides to end the quarrel with Ebnar. He releases his hold on Ebnar. Ebnar feels a slight tingle of healing energy as the Cleric removes his hold from him and is healed for (4).

The party regroups and remembers the Goblin that has ran down the cavernous tunnel...

Ebnar's body becomes unfrozen, his arms fall down either side of him, his axes still clenched in each hand, he lowers his head, his face shadowed, a few moments pass and the Dwarf utters no words, as Tharadin walks closer to the next pathway Ebnar raises his head and stares into the void in front of him.

"Ye...dare..."

The Dwarf finally says, his glare not taken off the darkness he was staring into.

"Ye...dare..."

He says a second time, his face turns red and his eyes become bloodshot, he tightens his grips on his axes and quickly thrusts himself around facing Tharadin, his crazed eyes burrowing a hole into the back of the knights head.

"YE DARE INSULT ME FAMILY!!?"

He bellows and grinds his teeth, the sound echoing.

"Ye risk the entire group and YE QUESTION 'MY' HONOUR!!?"

Snarling the Dwarf takes a step forward.

"DONT YE TURN YE BACK ON ME KNIGHT!!! I nay attacked ye when ye insulted me! i nay attacked ye when ye tried to be bossing me! hells i nay attacked ye when you charged at me from behind!! I EVEN DONE TRIED TO SAVE YOUR SORRY EXCUSE OF AN ARSE!! and now ye have the gall to question my honour!!? NAY!!! MY FAMILY!!!?"

The Dwarfs stance goes lower, his face growing more red, his eyes becoming hazed over in a blood frenzied state.

"Ye have been nothing but a pompous jackarse since we got ere!! Contstantly trying to take charge n prove your stones be bigger than mine!!! YET ITS YE WHO NEARLY GOT THE GROUP KILLED, NOT I !!"

The Dwarf snarls and spits.

"I make not excuses for what i be, what ye see is what ye get, but YOU!! You hide your dishonour behind veils of illusion n trying to make ye self look important by pretending ye in charge and on a holy mission! Yet ye attacked your own group and put the rest in danger for a damaged ego!!? My family nay be resting in peace till i avenge the insult ye put on their souls!! I NAY FORIGVE YE FOR THAT!! RAAARAGH!!"

Ebnar slams his axes against his chest, the ringing of his plate mail echoing through the cavern.

"YE CAN INSULT ME ALL YE WANT, BUT YE NEVER BE INSULTING ME FAMILY!! YE AINT NO PRIEST YE A DAMN WORSHIPPER OF CYRIC!! AND ILL KILL YE!! YOU BE TELLING YOUR GOD IT BE 'EBNAR WINTER-MANE LAST OF CLAN BLUEMACE' THAT DONE SENT YOU TO HIM IN PEICES!! AAAARRRRGHHHH!!"

Enraged Ebnar flings himself at Tharadin, swing his axes wildly at him.

-End Turn-

OOC: i did want to let the anamosity die down abit but i couldnt for the life of me work out a believable role play for Ebnar for why he wouldnt attack Tharadin for his comment lol, Dwarfs are very touchy when it comes to insults of their clan and family, Ebnar specifaclly since his clan and family died long ago and his always blamed himself for not being there to defend them, sorry if it screws the story up abit haha

As Ebnar lunges at Tharadin he is knocked back by a unknown force!? Ebnar stands and Tharadin naturally returns a blow but is also knocked to the ground?!? The two men stand to their feet both begin to swing at each other both are knocked back from a unknown force?

It seems that Tharadins (undoing) of his hold spell combined with the mystical powers of the Dwarf have manifested a bizarre curse upon them. Neither man can land an attack on one another? The other adventurers laugh a bit at the sight of this..

Ebnar - immune to attacks from TharadinTharadin - immune to attacks from Ebnar

*startled by Ebnar's lack of gratitude for his pitiful life being spared, then startled again by the immunity from one another*

"You insult me many times, Ebnar. You claim that I insulted you, yet your anger-stricken memory fails you. You accuse me of endangering the group and attacking first, when it was your aura of distrust and malcontent towards your would-be companions that endanger us; your tongue struck two dozen times before I raised my weapon to you even once. You mock my faith, yet who do you think intervened today? My Lords, Ilmater and Tyr, of course! I have passed their test of mercy, and their divine intervention is too much even for YOU to resist."

*takes a knee and begins to pray*

"Thank you, my Lords, for showing your infallible power to those faithful and those who dedicate their lives to rage and misery. I am your servant, in times of peace and of war..." *continues*

(Turn end)

OOC: In all fairness, the insults that I said to Ebnar were accurate representations of my character's perspective thus far. From the perspective of Tharadin, Ebnar has done little more than mock, tease, and insult (all very loudly), in an empty cave where it undoubtedly attracts attention, and then proceeds to turn that around and direct it towards Tharadin, who has a Wisdom/common sense score of 18. Not a good start. =S Also, we do not know one another's backstory in-character, so he has nothing to alter or bolster his perspective of Ebnar with.

Ebnar contnues to batter himself against the barrier, each swing knocking him back, several powerful enough to fling him a few metres, unphased and snarling more aggressivly Ebnar continues to lunge for Tharadin but it proves in vein and he slowerly grows tired from the assault. He notices the knight mocking tone, even begining to pray to Ilmater and Tyr in front of the Dwarf which enrages him further.

"By all the Hells do yeah ever stop!!? Your gods can kiss my hairy Dwarf arse for all i care!! I WILL get my vengence on ye!! I swear this before my ancestors and before all the Dwarves that done once lived in this mine, that before my times done i will have ye head mounted on a pike!! Ye backstabbing god sucking prayer mutter horse dung smelling BALD HEADED LONG NOSED BALLESS COWARD OF A HUMAN!! Ye hear me knight!!? Ye dead!!"

Ebnar trys yet again to attack Tharadin, he throws all his force behind the swing, the blow locks in place, he feels the force of the mysterious barrier push against him but the Dwarf fights it, pushing harder and harder to break it, just as it looks like the barrier is about to give way a huge surge errupts from it flinging the Dwarf far into a mound of corpses. Ebnar gets stuck between several of the bodies, his legs dangling out from the mass of flesh, a muffled cursing and swearing can be heard bellowing from amidst the pile.

As Ebnar lunges at Tharadin he is knocked back by a unknown force!? Ebnar stands and Tharadin naturally returns a blow but is also knocked to the ground?!? The two men stand to their feet both begin to swing at each other both are knocked back from a unknown force?

It seems that Tharadins (undoing) of his hold spell combined with the mystical powers of the Dwarf have manifested a bizarre curse upon them. Neither man can land an attack on one another? The other adventurers laugh a bit at the sight of this..

Ebnar - immune to attacks from TharadinTharadin - immune to attacks from Ebnar

(DM) - turn end

OOC: Oooh i did not that see that coming haha, nicely done sir! *claps*

OOC: In all fairness, the insults that I said to Ebnar were accurate representations of my character's perspective thus far. From the perspective of Tharadin, Ebnar has done little more than mock, tease, and insult (all very loudly), in an empty cave where it undoubtedly attracts attention, and then proceeds to turn that around and direct it towards Tharadin, who has a Wisdom/common sense score of 18. Not a good start. =S Also, we do not know one another's backstory in-character, so he has nothing to alter or bolster his perspective of Ebnar with.

I agree, and while Tharadin's insult wasnt a direct attack at Ebnar's family the fact that he accused him not being able to show mercy even on his own family sparked feirce anger within the Dwarf, overall i think Ebnar's and Tharadin's relationship is accurate to the characters they are, they are both polar opposites but both have some similaritys which makes them clash heads alot, they also judge the other without knowing them due to their own prejudices. Should be inresting to see how the two act with the barrier from now on haha.

"Curse me all you want, Ebnar. I have shown you mercy. Henceforth, I shall do no harm to you until you turn to evil. If you wish to attack me, you will do so against a defenseless target, as the only action I will take is throwing down my armaments. By doing so, you only make me stronger, as dying in such a manner would grant me a place in the domain of Ilmater."

"But ye resulted to cowardice! casting ye pathetic 'priest' magic at me while i was at my weakest!"

The Dwarf spits at him, landing at his feet.

"If i wasnt winded from 'LETTING' ye land two free blows at me and trying to fend off that thing...!" Ebnar points at the Hellhound, "This would of been a diffrent situation! But nay! not again, i will be finding a way to get past ye cowardly shielding magics, an when i do..."

Ebnar charges yet again at the barrier, still being repelled.

"If ye be wanting to meet ye fool of a God so bad knight, i got the remedy right ere!!"

The Dwarf swings his axes around in each hand. His teeth grinding. He notices a Goblin from earlier still twitching on the floor, no doubt due to damage to the brain, its enough for Ebnar though as he runs over to it and violently begins hacking at it with his axes, no doubt taking his frutstation out on the already dead creature, when he grows bored using his weapons he throws them either side of him and begins wayling into the unfortunate Goblin with his plate fists, blood splattering up into the Dwarfs face, he continues to pound into the creature until his punching the hard rock beneath him, only a sickening red paste and fragments of bone being left of the Goblins once intact face and skull.

Demeisen's slash is smartly deflected by the goblin warrior's curved blade, and using its free hand it lashes up with a fist to his jaw knocking him off balance.seeing an opening to finnish its badly wounded adversary, its red eyes light up and grins wickedly. Quickly bringing its blade up for a killing stroke, it has only time for a suprised squeak as a thick beam of flame smashes it backwards ungulfing and burning it to a crisp.

his legs shaking from the exertion, Demeisen stands straight and see's the wide eyed elf lowering his still smoldering hands.Taking a deep breath He resheaths his bloody short blade and limps over to his companions, turning his eyes towards the young elf. he softly mutters

"my thanks Tanis *nods* I owe you one, when we get out of this hell hole i'll-"

Then he notices Tharadin raise his hand toward the bloody dwarf and with a word and a bright flash, the dwarf berserker is held immobile.

He steps back and raises his hand at the light as Tharadin steps towards the dwarf, his gaze locked on Ebnar's. resigning himself to seeing the bloodstained cleric smash down the equally gore spattered dwarf.Demeisen breifly thinks about attemping to intervene, then shakes his head with a snort thinking 'well that would go well, he's just as likely to smash my brains out straight after, me being a wicked thief and all'

Then the stern Priest pull himself back from the brink of murder at the last moment, Demeisen sighs with relief as the spell is undone.

Demeisen raises his hands in the air, and with a blank expression on his face

"Well Praise be to IImater, the priest is capable of mercy... isn't your order supposedly known for its ability to turn the other cheek against petty insults??" *turning to Tanis* "perhaps he missed his calling?, should of been a battle lunatic of Tempus"

Cutting off his diatribe, his eyes widen in shock as the dwarf, foaming at the mouth with rage, launches himself at Tharadin's back. He stumbes back a step in pain, attempting to get away from the mele, only to see the dwarf thrown backwards by some invisible force.

stepping further back again in shock, he trips and falls on his arse. He stares at the scene for a moment as Tharadin goes down on one knee to pray, it seems, he thought to himself, the gods had also had enough of this foolishness.

*looks at Demeisen briefly as he poses his question about Tharadin's order*

"Oh? And what would a cutpurse know of my life and my order? What would you know of my current path, and the ideals attached to my order? I am but a human; a mortal, and all of us have limits. Never forget that none of us were born clerics. It is the struggle towards something be-" *cuts self off*

*shakes head with a sigh*

"No. You know nothing, and it is unlikely that shall change. Enough of this pointlessness. Demeisen, Tanis, I am not sure what you believe we should do next, but I believe we should pursue the goblin, even though he is most certainly reporting in to his kin and arranging an ambush as we speak. Perhaps a well-placed fireball would shine in such a situation?"

*As the rest of the group contemplates their decision, Tharadin takes a long drink of water from his large canteen.*

Ebnar pulls himself up from the decapitated goblin, he takes several deep breaths and licks his lips, lapping up some of the Goblins blood as he does so. He spits on the corpse, a collection of saliva and blood. He grabs his axes and walks up to the Hellhound, his mood seems to have calmed down some, he leans down and slices out one of the beasts teeth, he looks at it closely while pulling out a necklace from beneath his plate mail, the poorley strung cord carried on it a collection of teeth of varying sizes and thickness, he attaches the Hellhounds tooth onto it. He glares up at Tharadin he selects a human looking tooth from the collection.

"A Paladin of Lathender, thought he be showing me the light of his sun God" The Dwarf coldy smirks, "When i was done with him he had wolves eating up his holy flesh".

He tucks the necklace back under his breast plate and scowls he storms off down the path the fleeing Goblin fled to, keeping his eyes locked on Tharadin for aslong as possible, clearly trying to send a message to the knight.

Picking himself off the floor with a grimace, Demeisen dusts himself off and approaches the Cleric.

"Perhaps I dont know all there is to know of the house of IImater, but you may be surprised to know that I have great respect for the crying god... when i was a young guttersnipe in Athkatla, starving in the slums, I found shelter and food freely given in the Ramshackle temple hidden amongst the hovels there... many times"

shrugging his sholders, Demeisen turns away from the preist and walks towards the fallen goblins and hound, searching amongst the bodies

"but that was a long time ago *glances at the elf and dwarf* well, relativly"

As he searches amongst the dead, his eyes alight on a surprisingly well made crossbow clutched in the hands of the mutilated hound master goblin and, smiling to himself.

"Hello, what do we have here?" *crouches and picks up the crossbow*

He turns the weapon in his hands noting the fine craftsmanship and a slightly warm feeling amongst the grain of the wood, it was a lightly enchanted piece he was sure.

standing up and looking round at his battered companions, he stows his new crossbow across his back with a grin, then winces as he pulls at his new wounds

"Agreed Tharadin, we should attempt to silence that goblin before he manages to alert any more of his loathsome kin... but first, as we're all best friends now"

he spreads his arms looking at the bloody and bruised state of himself then his companions.

"how about a little of that newfound IImater mercy, some healing would be greatly appreicated"

The Party slowly begins down the path after the goblin before pushing too far into the cavernous tunnel. Both Demeisen and Tanis stop for a brief moment and ask Tharadin for some heals on their wounds. Though this is not a good place to rest the party begins to feel more fatigue from their battle.

*The Party is tired and needs to rest*

There is no place within this area that looks suitable for rest however and the fear of returning goblin men still threatens the group. Demeisen naturally sneaks ahead of the standing party to investigate the path ahead of them and discovers that this path ends further down. There is a rope tied to a rock that leads down...

Ebnar glares over the gaping maw, a cold chilling breeze rushes up towards him. He attempts to use his darkvision to gain an advantage over the impending darkness but fails in the attempt. He notices a small boulder laying a few centimetres from the crevis, he uses his foot to drag the boulder into the hole, it crashes and bounces off the walls leaving a ringing and echo with every hit, after a few moments delay the boulder reaches the bottom, another long drop the Dwarf thinks, nervous about trying to scuttle down the rope with his own heavy bulk and also his heavy armor to boot. He mumbles under his breath.

"Typical, yet another drop awaiting us, the rope be looking sturdy aye but no telling how much weight it be taking before it snaps"

Ebnar turns and glares at the group, he twists his vision onto Tanthalas and lets out a cold grin.

"Well Elf yah done skipped the last tight rope, now be ye time to grab your stones n go again!"

The Dwarf folds his arms.

"Diffrence is, whatever done left this rope we be knowing now it aint friendly, for all ye know ye might scale down der and land amidst an army of Goblins! Ye get to have all the fun!"

Laughing the Dwarf turns around and looks back at the pitt.

"But dont be worrying, if it be unsafe i'll stay at the top and hurl you up, once ye at the bottom let off some sparks with ye pretty magics, even if the humans nay be seeing it me eyes should be attune enough to catch the lights"

"Yes, yes we get it. Let's send the poor light loving elf into the deep dark hole to scare him. har har." He said sarcastically, with some venom, "Given that we need a good rest, however, I suggest that we pull up that rope so that whatever is down there can't get up, and get what rest we can manage here before we move on."